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2016 Race Winners Will Appear as Part of Fan Appreciation Weekend

9/5/2016

This stacked line-up of 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners will provide fans with unprecedented driver access for Fan Appreciation Weekend and an up close and personal look at their favorite drivers.

Live, unfiltered, and uncut. That’s what fans will get when they attend the first ever Gridside Live! hosted by Daryl Motte and Miss Sprint Cup on Richmond International Raceway’s historic track surface. This stacked line-up of 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners will provide fans with unprecedented driver access for Fan Appreciation Weekend and an up close and personal look at their favorite drivers. Make no mistake, this event may be taking place on the track but fans can expect to get a glimpse of what these drivers are like off-the-track. Think fun-filled, interactive activities with some of NASCAR’s best.

The headline event of the Inaugural Fan Appreciation Weekend is open to all Federated Auto Parts 400 ticketholders starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 10th. RICHMOND NATION season ticket holders will be treated to early access starting at 1:00 pm and exclusive content, featuring appearances by Mike Helton, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards. Show your RICHMOND NATION membership card to gain early access and receive an exclusive gift. Once on the track, make your way to the Frontstretch Stage to grab a spot up front.

Fans will be able to engage with some of their favorite drivers like never before while at Gridside Live! With drivers being paired up with one another, it’s sure to be a good time. What will the Team Penske teammates of Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski reveal about one another? What about the young guns of Chris Buescher and Kyle Larson? That’s just a small sample of what fans will see. Check out the full event rundown below!

1:00 PM Track opens early to RICHMOND NATION season ticketholders

1:00 PM Mike Helton

1:20 PM Matt Kenseth

1:40 PM Carl Edwards

2:00 PM Track opens to all Federated Auto Parts 400 ticketholders

2:10 PM Chris Buescher and Kyle Larson

2:30 PM Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski

2:50 PM Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, and Chase Elliott

3:10 PM Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, and Martin Truex, Jr.

3:30 PM That’s a wrap folks! But, the Fan Appreciation Weekend fun continues
when you head back out to the Midway for more surprises.

Richmond International Raceway will celebrate the fans during the Inaugural Fan Appreciation Weekend September 9-10. Drivers and teams, sponsors, tracks and NASCAR are joining RIR to recognize the pride, dedication, passion, and loyalty of NASCAR fans during this weekend-long celebration. Fans across the country and at the track in Richmond will feel the love. From social media shoutouts and teams running “Thank You Fans” B-Post decals, to unique giveaways and prizes, fans will be celebrated.

In addition to Gridside Live!, drivers are saying thanks to fans all Fan Appreciation Weekend long. Even the youngest of NASCAR fans will be showered with thanks when six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and NASA team up for an out of this world ticket package. In this experience, kids will get the chance to participate in a hands-on NASA Rockets 2 Racecars STEM Education activity. Through this activity, kids will learn how the science of speed is used by both their favorite race team and the scientists behind space travel. The highlight of the day will be when Johnson stops by for a 15-minute Q&A, where he will fill the kids in on everything they want to know. For more information on this experience for your youngest NASCAR fan, click here.

To help celebrate their 75th Anniversary, the M&M’S ® Brand is rolling out the red carpet and giving fans a VIP welcome at the RIR Frontstretch gate on Saturday. Guests will be able to walk the M&M’S Red Carpet at the Frontstretch Gate where M&M’S characters, a giant birthday cake, and M&M’S® Crispy and SNICKERS® Crisper samples to say thank you to the fans as they enter the grandstands. You can get to know the driver of the No. 18 and 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Kyle Busch when he stops by Toyota PitPass out on the Midway.

Don’t forget tickets are on sale now for the return of night racing at RIR with the Who’s Your Driver Weekend featuring the Virginia529 College Savings 250 NASCAR XFINITY Series race Friday night, Sept. 9, and the Federated Auto Parts 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Saturday, Sept. 10. Join us as we celebrate you, the fans, during Fan Appreciation Weekend. Click here to get your tickets now, or call the ticket office at 866-455-RACE.